War in Ukraine: despite German reluctance, Volodymyr Zelensky remains confident that Ukraine will join the European Union
Steph Deschamps / June 7, 2022
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday that he was confident that Ukraine will apply for European Union (EU) membership in the coming weeks, despite Germany's reluctance.
This decision will apply not only to Ukraine, but also to the European project as a whole, he said in his daily video, adding that the outcome would be decisive for the future of the EU.
The European Commission is expected to decide shortly on the follow-up to this application, which was proposed shortly after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, for his part, stressed that Ukraine should not be given a free pass to join the Union. While several member states have supported Ukraine's entry into the EU, the German government remains reluctant.
As a result, Mr. Zelensky sent his Minister of Community and Territorial Development, Oleksiy Chernyshov, to Berlin to defend the Ukrainian accession project.
Kiev still hopes that the 27 will accept its application at the European summit to be held on June 23 and 24.
The European Union should welcome Ukraine, said Mr. Chernyshov, while stressing that his country was not seeking special treatment.
We do not expect an entry through the back door, he said, adding that Kiev sees no interest in a partnership with the EU other than full membership, as suggested by French President Emmanuel Macron. We are not considering any other format at the moment.